


The Moon and His Stars

by crashboxhasmywholeheart



Series: Karasuno High is a Renaissance Painting [1]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Bromance, Brotherly Love, Caretaking, Fluff and Angst, Friendship, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Platonic Relationships, Protective Yamaguchi Tadashi, Sickfic, Tsukishima Kei is Bad at Feelings, Tsukishima Kei-centric
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-27
Updated: 2020-03-27
Packaged: 2021-02-28 20:40:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,716
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23303281
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/crashboxhasmywholeheart/pseuds/crashboxhasmywholeheart
Summary: Tsukki gets a shot at the doctor's and experiences some unfortunate side-effects. He tries to ignore them and make it through the school day (spoiler: he doesn't). It's a good thing he's got so many people around him who care.
Relationships: Tsukishima Akiteru & Tsukishima Kei, Tsukishima Kei & Yamaguchi Tadashi
Series: Karasuno High is a Renaissance Painting [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1676980
Comments: 19
Kudos: 242





	The Moon and His Stars

**Author's Note:**

> I've never written for the Haikyuu fandom before, but I'm so excited to! I'll admit, at first, I didn't really like Tsukishima, but that smug jerk grew on me after a little while, so I just had to write something for him! Hope you enjoy!

Tsukki didn't like shots. He didn’t like the way the nurses always tried to make small talk beforehand. He didn’t like the idea of his skin being pierced. Most of all, he didn’t like the twinges of pain that lingered long after the shot was over.

He slouched further down in the passenger side of his brother’s car and tried to ignore the grin Akiteru was shooting his way.

“Do you think you’re going to make it, Kei?”

Tsukki gave an annoyed grunt before bending down to search his backpack for his headphones.

“And that’s a real nice band-aid. Did you pick it out yourself?”

Tsukki bared his teeth at Akiteru and gave his brother a fearsome growl. Akiteru threw his head back and erupted with laughter. Tsukki had clearly made a mistake, accepting a ride from his idiot older brother.

Tsukki tugged down the sleeve of his shirt hiding the dinosaur covered band-aid from sight. He shoved his headphones over his ears and with a few taps of his phone, Akiteru’s laughter was silenced. 

Thank goodness. Tsukki was beginning to feel an awful sort of pressure building in his head. He massaged his temples before laying his head against the cool glass of the window. He closed his eyes hoping that it would fade by the time he got to school.

* * *

When they reached the school, Tsukki’s headache had gotten worse instead of better. That combined with the way the injection site of his shot was throbbing was enough to make him wish he’d just gone home. However, it was just a few aches; nothing Tsukki couldn’t handle.

Akiteru gave him a big smile and a thumbs-up through the car’s windshield. Tsukki gave a small wave back before turning and walking towards the school. He wanted to listen to his music, but he wasn’t sure if his head could handle it right now. 

He closed his eyes for a moment and massaged his temples hoping to settle the throbbing. His efforts were thwarted when a chipper voice exclaimed, “morning Tsukki!”

He opened his eyes to see that Yamaguchi had somehow materialized beside him. Yamaguchi’s eyes disappeared into his cheeks as he treated Tsukki to a giant grin. 

Tsukki nodded, giving Yamaguchi his typical greeting. He thought that’d be the end of it, but then Yamaguchi was shoving a covered cup in his direction. Tsukki eyed him before taking the cup and it’s warmth immediately seeped into his hands.

“It’s tea,” Yamaguchi offered in explanation.

When Tsukki raised a questioning eyebrow Yamaguchi hastily added, “ya know, to help you feel better.”

Tsukki popped open the lid and slid it to reveal just a sliver of the tea. He took a deep sniff and when he decided that the smell didn’t offend, he took a sip. The steam from the beverage wafted up and caused Tsukki’s glasses to fog over. 

He made a displeased sound before craning his neck to rub his glasses against his shoulder. While he was busy doing clearing his vision, Yamaguchi decided to speak again.

“You’re probably wondering how I knew you weren’t feeling well,” Yamaguchi began.

_Yes, I was, but I wasn’t going to ask. Some peace and quiet would be strongly preferred._

“Well, I was walking to school like I normally do, when I got a text from Akiteru. He told me that you were coming straight from the doctor’s to school which I already knew because you told me you’d be going to the doctor’s yesterday, but on top of that he told me that you might be a little grumpy because you didn’t really like getting shots. I was thinking about it when I saw a tea shop on the way to school so I stopped to get you some and—” 

Tsukki used the free hand that wasn’t holding the tea to rub frantic circles against his temple. He just couldn’t catch a break. It seemed like everyone was intent on making his headache worse.

“Tsukki?”

The quiet and questioning call of his name brought him back to reality. Yamaguchi was looking up at him, his eyebrows furrowed in concern. Tsukki dropped his hands from his head and turned his face away to escape Yamaguchi's inspection. 

“What?” he growled, hoping the gruff tone of his voice would put Yamaguchi off his trail.

Apparently, it worked because Yamaguchi squeaked, “nothing! Just forget it.”

Tsukki gave a quiet sigh of relief. Now that Yamaguchi had gone quiet, Tsukki could finally begin recovering. He understood what they were currently learning in class, so he could zone out and hopefully shake this headache before practice started. He could only hope.

* * *

Tsukki should have known better than to get his hopes up. Classes had been an absolute nightmare so far.

His math class was dominated by partner work. He and Yamaguchi grouped up as usual, but Tsukki just couldn’t pull his weight. The hammering of his head made the numbers blur and equations seemed to swim across the page. Yamaguchi had to pick up his slack and he hated himself for it.

During his third class period, he’d started feeling kind of lightheaded. He didn’t know exactly how to explain it. It was like everything was kind of far away; his teacher’s voice was fuzzy and the hand wrapped around his pencil didn’t even feel like his own. At this point, the only thing that felt real was the painful pounding of his head. 

Tsukki was really looking forward to lunch; he wouldn’t have to do any schoolwork and maybe his bento would help him feel better. 

When lunch finally arrived, Yamaguchi slid into the seat beside his and dug in on his meal. Eating, it seemed, was the one thing Yamaguchi didn’t hesitate to do. Tsukki quietly snickered at his own joke as he opened the lid of his lunch. 

Tsukki had fully intended on eating, really he did, but when the smell of his bento reached his nose his stomach stirred in a way he really didn’t like. He rushed to seal off his lunch and the smell before he gave in to the overwhelming urge to gag.

Okay, so maybe Tsukki wasn’t at his best, but it was nothing he couldn’t handle. There was only one class period of the school day left. All Tsukki had to do was to make it through one more subject and then club practice. After that, he could finally go home and sleep off whatever this was.

There was no need to worry anybody. His body was the one acting up, it was his problem. He could handle this. He was fine.

He nodded to himself and blinked back to reality. Yamaguchi was staring at him, his features dragged down with disapproval. If Tsukki was going to keep this act up, he was going to have to first convince Yamaguchi that he was fine.

He forced himself to reopen his bento and breathe through his mouth to avoid that awful feeling. Bit by bit, he picked through his lunch, slowly chewing through each mouthful and swallowing it, despite the thickness of his throat. 

Thankfully, his eating seemed to satisfy Yamaguchi who returned his attention to his own lunch. Yamaguchi didn’t say anything, but he kept sneaking glances at Tsukki, glances that he thought his friend couldn’t see. Lunch finally ended and Tsukki proudly looked down at his bento which he'd managed to eat a pretty good portion of.

He thought his condition might finally be improving, but during the walk back to his seat, a wave of dizziness washed over him. His shoes stumbled across the floor before he managed to catch himself against a desk. 

“Tsukki!” Yamaguchi yelped, behind him, “are you okay? Seriously, you’ve been acting off all day—”

“I’m fine,” Tsukki hissed back.

The dizziness passed and he practically sprinted back to his desk. Even with the dizziness temporarily gone, his headache was still raging in full force. Tsukki just barely resisted the urge to rub his temples again. 

Yamaguchi was relentless. He followed him all the way to his seat and even when Tsukki was sitting, Yamaguchi hovered over him. 

“Are you sure?” Yamaguchi asked, wringing his hands while his eyes anxiously scanned Tsukki’s form.

“Yes,” Tsukki answered and an accompanying glare was enough to silence Yamaguchi—for now. However, Tsukki recognized the firm clench of his friend’s jaw as he made his way back to his own seat. It was no longer a matter of if Yamaguchi would call him out but when; he was now on borrowed time.

Tsukki managed to make it through his last class even though he barely remembered any of it. His nausea had thankfully faded away after lunch (although the food he’d eaten still felt heavy in his stomach), however, the dizziness remained. That coupled with his headache made walking much harder than it should have been.

Yamaguchi walked in front of him, in the hallway. They usually walked beside each other, but his friend had quietly shouldered ahead of him as they exited the classroom and was walking just fast enough to keep his lead. Although it mostly annoyed Tsukki, a small part of him was grateful.

With Yamaguchi clearing the way, Tsukki didn’t have to worry about anyone jostling him and potentially offsetting his balance. It was hard enough keeping himself steady as it was. 

Tsukki let out a sigh of relief as the club room came into view. They had arrived early today, which meant the room would be empty and he could let his guard down for a little bit. Climbing the stairs to the club room left him panting like an old dog and it took almost all of his concentration to keep planting his feet in the right places. 

Finally, he and Yamaguchi made it to the club room. Neither of them turned on the lights as they entered, letting the sunshine that spilled in from the windows illuminate the space. Cool and quiet greeted Tsukki like old friends and it made him want to do something stupid like lay out on the floor. 

Instead, he forced himself to make his way over to his cubby. When he reached it, he ducked his head inside its depths and remained there until his breathing returned to its normal rhythm. His dizziness was beginning to die down now; at this rate, he’d make it through practice no problem.

“You’re going home straight after practice.”

Yamaguchi’s voice sprang up from nowhere, startling Tsukki enough for him to smack his head against the cubby walls as he spun around. Yamaguchi kept his back to him as he dug through his cubby for his volleyball gear.

With a scoff, Tsukki turned back around and began digging out his own stuff. 

“You can’t tell me what to do,” he said, as he started to change into his club clothes.

Tsukki pulled his shirt over his head, then paused, waiting for Yamaguchi’s response.

“Watch me.”

Yamaguchi’s voice was a hardened flint, the kind they used to sharpen swords. Tsukki turned to find Yamaguchi wearing an expression to match. His dark eyes were swirling like miniature tsunamis. His hands were tensed at his sides, like the way the sky paused before a storm and the line of his lips were an unyielding, hardened magma.

Tadashi Yamaguchi was currently a force of nature and if Tsukki didn’t give in to his demands, he might just get blown away.

Tsukki let his head dip down to his chin, his nod one of surrender. At least Yamaguchi wasn’t trying to keep him from practicing. Little victories he supposed. They both turned back to their cubbies and continued to change.

Tsukki heard his teammates before he saw them. He only had seconds to prepare himself before the door to the club room busted open and Hinata, Kageyama, and Tanaka barged in.

“Oi Tsukishima!” Hinata shouted, “why are you just standing around in the dark!”

Tsukki grit his teeth as Hinata’s voice bounced around his skull. 

“Yeah Four-Eyes,” Kageyama said, as he shuffled by him, “you can barely see as it is.” 

Tanaka let out a loud laugh that Hinata quickly echoed. Tsukki wanted to throw an insult back, but when the lights turned on the pounding of his head overwhelmed him and left him speechless.

“What, no snarky comebacks!” Hinata shouted over his shoulders. “Are you losing your touch, Tsukishima?” 

Tsukki couldn't help but hunch his shoulders, as he tried his best to block out everything around him.

“Can you stop yelling at Tsukki!” Yamaguchi yelled, “you’re not helping anything!”

Yamaguchi had done that thing again where he somehow appeared at Tsukki’s side. He took an enormous breath, presumably to continue tearing into everyone else. Tsukki placed a hand on his friend’s shoulder and he immediately quieted.

“Yamaguchi, you’re yelling,” Tsukki pointed out.

With that statement, all the fight went out of Yamaguchi. He mumbled an apology before saying, “I’ll see you at the gym.”

Everyone in the club room was frozen, mid-action, as they watched Yamaguchi exit. Tsukishima couldn’t help but smirk at Hinata’s wide eyes and gaping mouth. Tsukki really did mean it that time he'd called Yamaguchi cool. 

"Dang," Tanaka said, "I didn’t know he had it in him."

Tsukki’s teammates had really taken Yamaguchi’s outburst to heart. The club room remained quiet for the remainder of his time there.

Thankfully, Tsukki didn’t bump into anyone on his way to the gym. The incident in the club room had made his headache flare up again. He reached behind his head to loosen the strap of his sports glasses. It didn’t do much to alleviate the building pressure in his head.

_I just have to make it through practice. I just have to make it through practice._

That was the mantra Tsukki kept repeating to himself all throughout his warm-up stretches. He caught Yamaguchi staring at him once or twice, but he didn't mind as much as he should have. Honestly, no matter how irritating it was, Yamaguchi had admittedly been making things easier for him all day.

When warm-ups were complete, Daichi called for everyone to gather around. Tsukki tried his best to listen to what his captain was saying, but he only caught about half of it. Maybe he could ask Yamaguchi about it later. He had at least heard that inner-team matches would be the focus of today’s practice.

The team was split into two groups of three-on-three. He didn’t bother to take notice of the other group’s matchup since most of his mental capacity was being taken up by staying upright.

His team was composed of Yamaguchi and Daichi and they were up against Kageyama, Hinata, and Tanaka.

Yamaguchi shouldered him on the way over to their side of the court.

“Hey. It looks like we’re finally getting our rematch. Too bad you’re not at your best.”

Thankfully, Tsukki was able to catch hold of Yamaguchi’s insinuation through the fog of his mind. He hadn’t even realized that this was the exact same matchup that had taken place when they’d first joined the club. Great. 

Daichi greeted the two of them with twin claps to the back. 

“We might not have won the last game we had against these guys, but this is our chance to redeem ourselves.”

Daichi’s eyes took on that familiar determined glint as he said, “I”m counting on you two.”

He turned to Yamaguchi and said, “with your amazing serves,” then he treated Tsukishima to a grin, “and your killer blocks we have a great chance at winning!” 

Yamaguchi gave a vigorous nod and yelled, “alright!”

Even though Tsukki wasn’t feeling good, he still appreciated Daichi’s spirit so he gave his captain a firm nod before taking his place front and center on the court. He was face to face with Kageyama who remained curiously quiet.

“No trash talk today?” Daichi said, behind him, a teasing lilt to his tone.

Kageyama’s eyes flicked over to where Yamaguchi was standing, completely unaware. Tsukki snickered to himself; Yamaguchi really had scared them earlier. Unfortunately, his laughter was quick to draw Kageyama’s attention back to him. 

The setters' dark eyes narrowed and he leaned in close enough for only Tsukki to hear him.

“You won’t be laughing when our attacks are pummeling you to the ground.”

Tsukki ignored the hammering of his head and said, “come now Kageyama. That’s low even for you. Just remember those words when all your freaky sets are getting blocked out.”

“Tch,” Kageyama said. 

His eyes suddenly flicked to Tsukki’s right and then he was leaning away from the net, pointedly avoiding his gaze.

Tsukki glanced to his right and caught sight of Yamaguchi who was currently trying to glare a hole through Kageyama’s head. He chuckled to himself. Who knew that Yamaguchi could be so scary?

The blow of Coach Ukai’s whistle signaled the beginning of the practice games. Tsukki pushed his glasses up his nose and prepared himself for the first serve. He didn’t care how bad he felt, he was going to give this game his all.

* * *

One set later and Tsukki felt like melting into a puddle on the gym floor. He’d forgotten just how annoying Hinata and Kageyama’s quick attacks were and the force behind Tanaka’s spikes made them a pain to block. Usually, he would have appreciated the challenge, but, right now, the match was beginning to turn into torture.

He was only supposed to have a slight amount of soreness, but the shoulder he’d received the shot in was aching something awful. Every block sent ripples of pain down his arm, that had him gritting his teeth.

Even worse, after every block, when Tsukki returned to the ground, he had to spend more and more time reacclimating himself. The gym kept turning at odd angles and doubles of his teammates would separate from their forms.

Tsukki wasn’t doing a good job at keeping his symptoms a secret either. To call his performance poor was doing him a kindness. His blocks were all over the place since he could barely keep track of the ball and his movements were so sluggish that by the time he was in position the ball had already passed him by. 

At one point, he’d even lost his balance and stumbled back into Daichi. His captain raised a questioning eyebrow before setting him back on his feet and diving to receive an incoming ball. 

Tsukki couldn’t even look his teammates in the eye. He was losing them points and he knew it. In the break between sets, Daichi approached him and Tsukki tensed, prepared to hear the criticism he definitely deserved.

Daichi’s face remained kind as he dropped a sure hand on Tsukki’s shoulder.

“Tsukishima—” Daichi began. 

Tsukki wasn’t one to interrupt people, but he already knew what Daichi had to say so he might as well save his captain’s breath.

“I’m sorry. I know my blocking’s terrible today. I’ll make it up during the next set.”

He didn’t even realize he’d been tilting until Daichi’s grip shifted down to his arms. A flush raced up the back of his neck, at the embarrassment of having to be held up by his captain. 

“That wasn’t what I was gonna say at all,” Daichi said and the heat on the back of Tsukki’s neck doubled.

Daichi cautiously released him before continuing.

“I’ve noticed that you’ve been off since practice started and I’m starting to get worried.” 

Daichi paused as he rubbed at the back of his neck.

“It’s alright if you’re not feeling well. Really, it's not like I'll be upset. Practice is important, but so is taking care of yourself. If you’re not feeling well then you shouldn’t be pushing your body.”

Tsukki let his gaze drop to the shining surface of the gym floor.

“I’m not sick,” he said in a low voice, “I’m just not feeling my best.”

Tsukki forced himself to look his captain in the eye. He needed him to understand that he wasn’t the type to just go throwing himself into stupid situations.

“I wouldn’t have come to practice if I didn’t think I could make it all the way through.”

Daichi nodded and said, “you usually have good judgment. I’m gonna let you play, but if I say you need to sit out that’s the end of it. No arguments. Understand?”

“Yes sir,” Tsukki said, letting out a quiet puff of air. 

Thank goodness Daichi was giving him another chance. He would have hated going to the bench. He didn’t need everyone's eyes on him, asking him questions and sticking their noses in his business. The less attention on him the better.

As soon as Daichi had stepped away Yamaguchi sent him a questioning incline of the head. Tsukki sent a single thumbs-up in response before returning to his position on the court.

However, Daichi's words were still humming in his ear. Tsukki's heart sunk as he realized that his captain had a point. His condition was only getting worse and this practice certainly wasn't making it any better. After the practice game, with Daichi and Ukai’s permission, maybe Tsukki could slip out and head home early. He just had to get through this game.

Now that the end was in sight, a burst of adrenaline coursed through Tsukki's system; he was determined to finish strong.

Tsukki actually fared much better in the second set; well enough apparently for them to win this one. He went back and forth between being excited by their potential victory and being devastated that the game was now going to last longer.

He was sweating something awful now and at some point, chills had begun to dance across his shoulders. His head was throbbing, thudding like the various volleyballs that were hitting open palms and back walls. Tsukki pushed his glasses back up the bridge of his nose and prepared himself for the final set. This was it, the home stretch. Tsukki was gonna give it his all.

He actually managed a fair amount of blocks and some receives throughout the third set. The score was currently at 22-20 (with his side in the lead).

Daichi’s receives were key in shutting down Kageyama and Hinata’s quicks as well as Kageyama’s serves. Even in his weakened state, Tsukki still managed to read Kageyama enough to anticipate his sets and Yamaguchi’s amazing serve had stolen their side point after point. 

They were three points away from a win when it came time for Yamaguchi to serve again. Tanaka let out a loud groan. 

“Now this just isn’t fair! Yamaguchi’s serve is too high and mighty for us mere mortals.” 

He covered his face with his hand like a damsel in distress. Hinata snickered into his shoulder and even Daichi couldn’t help but smile. 

Tsukki gave Yamaguchi a thumbs up which his friend happily returned before making his way to the back of the court. Yamaguchi’s jump float serve made one point and then another. On the third one, Hinata’s freaky reflexes kicked in and he somehow managed to receive it.

Finally, the score came down to 24-23 (Tsukki's side was still in the lead). It was currently Hinata’s turn to serve. The shorty sent the ball flying across the court, only for Daichi to receive it hard enough to send the ball went flying back over the net. Hinata received the ball, then spun on his heel to sprint forward in tandem with Tanaka. This was it, the moment of truth. 

Daichi moved up closer to the net. Tsukki watched Kageyama, watched the way the setter's eyes narrowed in concentration and the way his arm angled as he set the ball to the right. To Tanaka.

Tsukki had been expecting Kageyama to set it for Hinata. He was at the wrong end of the net. However, Tsukki had poured all his remaining energy into this game and he sure wasn’t going to give up on it now.

Tsukki sprinted to the right side of the court, racing to outrun the ball. When he realized he wouldn’t reach where Tanaka was, on foot, he got as close as possible and then leaped with everything he had, his arm outstretched. 

The ball slapped into Tanaka’s palm and the wing spiker's powerful strike propelled it forward. Forward right into Tsukki’s stretching fingers which sent the ball right back over the net. Tsukki and the ball both fell towards the floor on opposite sides. 

Tsukki watched the ball reach the ground and gave a satisfied smile before he reached the ground himself. He landed on his side and the shoulder he'd received the shot took the brunt of his weight.

Said shoulder exploded in pain, all of Tsukki's muscles flaring at once as he smashed into the unforgiving ground. Everything exploded in brilliant shades of white and the world went silent. Tsukki tried his best to remember how to breathe, but it was like he was a scratched cd and everything was frozen.

“Tsukki!”

That was the first thing that broke through the haze of his mind. Someone was calling his name in a high and frantic voice. The second thing was the pathetic whimpering sounds that were most likely coming from him. He clamped his mouth shut and his suspicions were confirmed when the sounds abruptly stopped.

“Tsukishima. Tsukishima. Can you hear me?”

This voice was steadier, more sure. The voice had asked Tsukki a question like it was expecting an answer so he swallowed past the lump in his throat and said, “yes.”

He squinted against the bright white as his vision began to trickle back.

“It’s okay,” the steady voice said, “don’t rush it. Take your time.”

Tsukki relaxed against the floor and tried to focus on his breathing as his senses returned to their usual states. 

Over time, the blobs above him sharpened into faces, the faces of Yamaguchi and Coach Ukai. Yamaguchi’s mouth was moving a mile a minute and even from his spot on the ground, Tsukki could see that his friend was getting worked up. He strained his ears to decipher the babbling nonsense that was streaming past Yamaguchi’s lips.

“...all day! I’ve been watching him and he’s had a headache and been dizzy and he couldn't even finish his lunch and he’s just so stubborn! I should have told someone, but I didn’t think it’d get this bad!”

Frustrated tears appeared at the edges of Yamaguchi’s eyes and Tsukki’s mouth went dry. This was the last thing he’d wanted.

“Don’t blame yourself, you idiot.” 

Yamaguchi and Ukai’s heads both swiveled to look at him. Tsukki carried on, needing to shut down the path of thinking that Yamaguchi was heading down.

“It’s my own fault. You were just being a good friend.”

Yamaguchi made a sound that halfway between a hiccup and laugh as he said, “I wish you would have been this agreeable earlier on.”

Tsukki couldn't help but laugh himself, that is until white began creeping around the edges of his vision so he stopped and focused on his breathing again.

“Do you think you can handle sitting up, Tsukishima?” Ukai asked him.

Tsukki gave a quiet grunt of affirmation and that was all it took for two sets of hands to settle on his back and under his arms. Ukai and Yamaguchi gently pulled Tsukki up and the world shifted before him. His stomach flipped, in protest of the movement. Tsukki kept focusing on keeping his breathing even. Everything was going to be fine. _He_ was going to be fine.

Tsukki leaned forward, fully intent on getting to his feet, but a hand on his chest stopped him.

“Woah,” Ukai said, with a raised eyebrow, “you really think I’d let you try and stand up on your own after that spectacle?”

“Yeah Tsukki,” Yamaguchi echoed beside him. "We’re here for you. Just let us handle it.”

Tsukki wanted to scoff and tell them that they were being ridiculous. He wanted to tell them that he could handle himself. However, his head was still pounding fiercely and his equilibrium was clearly off. He was even beginning to taste the lunch he’d eaten at the back of his throat. As much as he hated to admit it, Tsukki was…not okay and maybe it was alright to accept help. Just this once.

Tsukki gave a quiet grunt before relaxing into Ukai and Yamaguchi’s arms. He heard Yamaguchi give a sigh of relief and mutter, “finally,” under his breath.

He let Yamaguchi and Ukai do most of the work in helping him stand and leading him over to the sidelines to layout on the bench. Not wanting to see anyone’s stares, Tsukki tucked his face in the crook of his elbow. He heard Yamaguchi and Ukai discussing calling his brother before he drifted off.

* * *

After what felt like five minutes, but Tsukki knew was probably longer, a voice pulled him out of his half-asleep haze.

“Kei. It’s time to go home now.”

Tsukki cracked his eyes open to see Akiteru crouched in front of him, for once in his life looking serious. Tsukki grunted and managed to say, “sorry for making you come.”

“Whatever Kei,” Akiteru said, rolling his eyes. “What was I supposed to do? Leave you here to suffer? I’m not that bad of a brother.”

“You’re not a bad brother,” Tsukki said, but his mouth felt like it was filled with cotton and the words came out all wrong.

Akiteru gave a sad smile. 

“Thanks. That’s enough talking for now, though. Save your strength for more important things.”

Tsukki let Akiteru slip an arm underneath his own and half hoist him to his feet. He slumped against his brother and let his eyes slide shut, trusting Akiteru to guide him. 

At some point, Tsukki heard a chorus of hollers, which sounded like various members of his team yelling for him to get well soon. He didn’t feel strong enough to respond, but he appreciated it nonetheless.

The next time Tsukki opened his eyes, he was in the backseat of Akiteru’s car. At some point, someone had draped a jacket across his shoulders. He was shivering like he was cold, yet, Tsukki felt like he was being cooked alive in his clothes. He tugged at the collar of his shirt, trying to relieve the stifling sensation. 

When that didn’t work, Tsukki shut his eyes and tried to ignore the trembling of his traitorous body. However, other symptoms rushed to greet him. The interior of the car shifted every time he opened his eyes like he was experiencing some sort of motion sickness. Sharp pinpricks of pain had begun to torment the muscles in his arms and legs. A pitiful groan escaped him.

He shifted in an effort to get comfortable and relieve the building pressure that was pressing against him. However, it just made all his ailments flare up at once. Tsukki groaned again, this time longer than the first.

“Tsukki?”

Yamaguchi called his name, soft and frightened. Great, now he was hallucinating. He cracked his eyes open to find that he was in fact, not hallucinating. Yamaguchi sat beside him in the backseat, his hands forming fists in his lap. He was biting his lip in that frustrated way he did right before he was about to cry.

Tsukki hummed lazily and was grateful to see Yamaguchi’s hands uncurl, just a little bit. 

Tsukki’s gaze drifted in an aimless arc. He jumped a little in his seat when he made eye contact with someone else in the rearview mirror. Akiteru was staring straight at him from the front seat. Tsukki didn’t like it. He didn’t like the way Yamaguchi had been looking at him earlier either.

“Tch.”

The little sound of annoyance filled the silence of the car as Tsukki curled up and tried once again to escape the discomfort of his current reality.

Tsukki’s next awakening was far more pleasant than his first one. A thick blanket of grogginess muffled not only his awareness but some of his aches as well. He was pulled out of the backseat and two solid forms supported his body on either side. 

The more Tsukki woke up, the more his grogginess was gradually replaced by a sickening mix of nausea and wooziness. He didn’t care about his dignity anymore, at this point he just wanted his head and his arms and his legs to stop hurting. 

Tsukki moaned long and low. His head was bowed too far to notice the look that Yamaguchi and Akiteru shared over his shoulders.

One of the solid forces disappeared and Tsukki sagged against the remaining one. He thought they walked upstairs, but he wasn’t all that sure. The next time Tsukki opened his eyes, he was in his room. He didn’t know if he was dreaming. It felt like he was dreaming.

The solid force lowered him into his bed and the first thing Tsukki did was shove his head into his pillow and curl his body as much as he could without agitating his aching muscles. Someone pulled his shoes off and then his glasses too. It could have been a dinosaur doing the deed for all Tsukki cared. He was just happy to finally have something soft cushioning the throbbing of his head and limbs.

More time passed. Things went quiet, but then voices interrupted the stillness of his room. Their sentences filtered through his mind in choppy segments.

“...called clinic...Tsukki’s…vaccine…side effects...temporary.”

He didn’t understand most of what they were talking about, but the word vaccine stuck fast in his mind. Of course, Tsukki had known something was up, he’d started feeling bad ever since the doctor’s that morning. This was just his luck. Of course, of all the people, he was probably in the small percentage that would experience such sucky side effects.

The voices went on for a little while longer before abruptly quieting. Tsukki opened his eyes curious to see what had changed. If his body had the strength he would have jumped at the shock of seeing Akiteru’s face suddenly above his. 

“Hey, Kei.”

Akiteru’s voice was soft, like their mother’s. He laid a hand atop Tsukki’s head and said, “I hate to say this, but I have to head back to work now. Yamaguchi’s gonna stay with you though. He’ll call me if anything goes wrong—which it won’t."

Akiteru bit his lip before continuing.

"Mom will be home in two hours and the doctor will be by later tonight. I know that’s a lot to take in, but the point is you’re gonna be fine.”

He took a deep breath and gave Tsukki’s hair a little ruffle.

“Are you gonna be alright?”

Tsukki drew on what little bit of his strength was left, to push himself up on his elbows and said, “I’ll be alright, Akiteru.”

Akiteru nodded then got back to his feet. Tsukki let himself fall back into the embrace of his bedsheets and watched Akiteru talk to Yamaguchi a little while longer. His brother gave him one last quiet smile before leaving the room. They both watched him go before Yamaguchi turned to him and said, “I’ll be right back.”

When Yamaguchi returned his hands were spilling with more stuff than he was able to carry, including a tray that was precariously balanced atop everything else. He raced across the room and unloaded the contents of his arms onto Tsukki’s nightstand. Tsukki winced at the clatter of noise that accompanied the action. 

Yamaguchi dragged Tsukki’s desk chair over to his bedside. His friend plucked the tray from the top of the stack. A few crackers, a small cup of tea, and two pills sat on its surface. 

Tsukki eyed the tray warily, but eventually, with Yamaguchi’s coaxing, he caved and gave the light meal a chance.

Tsukki actually managed to eat all five of the crackers. Yamaguchi patiently waited for him to nibble through each one, offering encouragement the entire time. Tsukki just barely managed to down the pills with the tea. It was an understatement to say he was relieved when Yamaguchi said, “good job,” and finally took the tray away.

Tsukki slumped back into the bed and thankfully, Yamaguchi didn’t try to correct the motion. Instead, Yamaguchi smoothed Tsukki’s hair back, to apply a compress to his forehead. The chill from the compress was nothing short of a blessing; it flowed through his head and quieted the angry pounding that had held him captive all day.

Heating pads quickly followed the compress and battled the aching of his arms, chest, and legs. His nausea had all but disappeared and the tea as well as the extra blankets that Yamaguchi had brought banished the shivers from his body.

Yamaguchi had clearly been paying attention to him all day long. He’d brought something to soothe every single one of Tsukki’s ailments without ever even having to ask him what was wrong.

Yamaguchi was a good friend. Tsukki had known that for a wrong time, but the surge of appreciation that rushed through him was so fierce that his face screwed up against the force of it.

Yamaguchi immediately noticed. He swiveled the chair in Tsukki’s direction with wild and widened eyes.

“Tsukki!” he shouted, “what’s wrong? What hurts?”

“Nothing,” Tsukki said, with a sigh, “nothing hurts. It’s just—” 

_you’re a good friend, an amazing friend. I’m so grateful that you’re here for me. I don’t know what I would have done without you._

“—it’s just that I’m sorry you had to stay here and take care of me. You should go home. Really.”

Yamaguchi blinked at him for a moment, completely still. Then, he tossed back his head and was overcome with laughter. When he finally regained control of himself, Yamaguchi wiped at his eyes before saying, “nice try Tsukki, but you’re not gonna get rid of me that easily. Besides, I already called my mom. You should just accept it already because I’m not going anywhere.”

Tsukki wanted to yell at Yamaguchi. He wanted to tell his friend that he was being a stubborn idiot and that he should stop worrying about him. However, if he was being honest with himself, he wouldn’t have meant any of that stuff. 

“Fine,” Tsukki said, letting his head sink back into his pillow “I didn’t really want you to go anyway.”

“I know,” Yamaguchi said. 

He was looking at Tsukki, his eyes so earnest and his smile so fond, that Tsukki had to turn his head the other way. He still didn’t understand how Yamaguchi could wear his emotions so plainly on his face like that.

At some point, Yamaguchi pulled some movie up on his phone for Tsukki to watch, while he did his homework. Tsukki couldn’t really keep up with the plot, but it was still nice to have something to do. 

The pills he'd taken earlier, finally decided to kick in and his headache slowly faded away. The heating pad and compresses had restored some equilibrium to his body and there were no aches to be spoken of. For the first time since the doctors, Tsukki felt good.

Yamaguchi remained beside him the entire time, a steady guardian that made him feel safe enough to let his eyes slip close. Tsukki didn’t even make it to the end of the movie before he nodded off. 

When Tsukki opened his eyes again, Akiteru had replaced Yamaguchi at his bedside. His brother was slumped over in the desk chair, dozing, with the book he’d been reading, half-open, in his lap. 

The sky was dark beyond Tsukki’s bedroom window, but moonlight still spilled into the room. It was at that moment, with the moon illuminating his face and no one else around to see, that Tsukki smiled to himself. 

He’d always thought that being the moon meant that he’d be perpetually lonely; it would be him alone beaming in the dark expanse of the night sky. However, today, Tsukki’s eyes had been opened. He realized that there were stars that burned fiercely by his side; he was surrounded by people that cared about him and shone bright enough to light up his life. Tsukki was the moon and his sky was saturated with starlight.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading my fic! If you so please, consider leaving a comment or constructive criticism (I adore kudos, but comments send me flying over the moon). I'd love to hear what you have to say! I hope that wherever you are you're staying safe and taking care of yourself <3 Until next time, my lovelies.


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